Three Months On, Putin Faces Opposition to His War from Those Upset by Sanctions and Those Angry He isn’t More Aggressive, ‘Meduza’ Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, May 24 – Three months after he launched his massive military invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin faces opposition in his own country not only from those angry about the impact of sanctions the Kremlin leader’s actions have brought but also by those who are furious that he isn’t pursuing the war even more vigorously, Meduza says.

            The independent Riga-based news agency which disseminates information in both Russian and English has tracked indications about both kinds of opposition and not just the sanctions-driven anti-war attitudes that Western media generally have been focused on (meduza.io/feature/2022/05/24/dovolnyh-pochti-net).

            Its reporting is significant for two reasons. On the one hand, the existence of a war party that wants Moscow to do even more likely convinces Putin that he has nothing to fear from those who may be arguing behind the scenes that his policies are wrong and should be reversed so that Russia can escape sanctions.

            And on the other hand – and this may be far more important – that party’s existence suggests that even with Putin’s ultimate departure from the scene, there remains in the Russian elite many who are prepared to adopt an even more aggressive approach to Russia’s neighbors and the West than he so far has.

            Consequently, keeping track of the war party now is likely to acquire even greater importance in the future rather than be something marginal that will disappear when the current Kremlin leader passes from the scene.